Pulse Induction Metal Detector PCB Design
Proceed with final stabilization of the PCB design:
- Grounding and validation:
- Fix all grounding issues and enforce a strict single star-ground topology at the 12V input only
- Ensure complete separation of analog, digital, and power return paths with no unintended coupling
- Rerun full ERC and DRC after grounding corrections and resolve all remaining violations
- Component placement:
- Place the Arduino Nano centrally between the analog front-end (TL072 + LM393) and the power driver section (TC4420 + IRF3205 + coil)
- Maintain clear physical separation between analog and power domains to minimize electromagnetic coupling
- Power integrity:
- Add bulk capacitors for each power domain:
- Analog domain: 10µF–47µF low-noise capacitor
- Digital domain: 10µF–47µF capacitor near Arduino Nano
- Power domain: 100µF–470µF near coil driver input
- Ensure each bulk capacitor is placed close to its respective power entry point
- Final review:
- Re-check decoupling placement (100nF at every IC power pin)
- Verify no routing crosses between analog and power zones
- Confirm coil driver loop remains minimal and isolated
Only proceed to final Gerber, BOM, and Pick-and-Place generation after all checks pass successfully.
2 days
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Plan
- Finalize and stabilize the pulse induction metal detector PCB to ensure strict single-point grounding at the 12V input, complete analog/digital/power domain separation, and proper component placement. This includes positioning the Arduino Nano centrally between the analog front-end and power driver, adding appropriate bulk capacitors per power domain, ensuring 100nF decoupling at each IC power pin, and verifying design integrity through ERC/DRC before generating manufacturing outputs (Gerber, BOM, and pick-and-place files).
#Implementation plan
-
Schematic and Layout Audit
- Review the current schematic for meeting design separation and grounding requirements.
- Verify that each IC power pin includes a 100nF decoupling capacitor.
- Confirm that bulk capacitors are added to each separate power domain.
-
Grounding and Domain Separation Modifications
- Enforce a strict single star-ground topology solely at the 12V input.
- Maintain full separation of analog, digital, and power sections on both the schematic and PCB layout.
-
Component Placement Adjustments
- Relocate the Arduino Nano to a central position between the analog front-end (e.g., TL072, LM393) and power driver section (TC4420, IRF3205) to optimize isolation between domains.
-
Design Rule Verification
- Rerun ERC and DRC checks.
- Address and resolve any grounding, trace width, clearance, or decoupling violations that appear.
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Final Manufacturing Readiness
- Verify that all changes meet the design requirements.
- Generate and review Gerber, BOM, and pick-and-place outputs only after all checks pass.
#Success criteria
- The schematic and PCB layout enforce a single star-ground connection at the 12V input with proper isolation between analog, digital, and power domains.
- The Arduino Nano is centrally placed between the analog front-end and power driver on the PCB.
- Every IC includes a 100nF decoupling capacitor with bulk capacitors present on each power domain.
- ERC/DRC reports are clean with no remaining violations.
- Manufacturing outputs (Gerber, BOM, and pick-and-place files) are generated only after a successful design review.
Fix grounding and checks
Place MCU between domains
Add bulk capacitors
2 days
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